To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Alicja Bobek

CRiTiCALL was developed by the Dublin City Volunteer Centre, in collaboration with other organizations, in response to reports of increasing incidents of domestic violence during the COVID-19 restrictions. It originated from ‘Operation Faoisimh/#Still here,’ spearheaded by the Irish police force. The initiative is underpinned by the principle of prioritising domestic violence survivors and individuals vulnerable to domestic abuse.

Tackling Domestic Violence During Crisis

The primary goal of the CRiTiCALL initiative is to support people who have experienced domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seven organisations joined forces to launch this initiative: Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Safe Ireland, Dublin City Volunteer Centre, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre, Fingal Volunteer Centre, South Dublin County Volunteer Centre, and Wicklow Volunteer Centre.

CRiTiCALL provides home starter kits containing essential items for kitchens, bedding, and hygiene packs, which include items like sanitary wear, toilet rolls, shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Additionally, children’s back-to-school packs are distributed to those in need. These items are collected from donations within communities and are distributed to individuals who have left domestic violence situations. Many of these individuals find refuge in women’s shelters. As part of the support, letters of encouragement are circulated to people in domestic violence shelters. The overall aim of the initiative is to ensure that those leaving abusive situations receive the necessary support for their recovery and their journey towards a safer life.

Find out more about the initiative

Photo from Freepik

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Alicja Bobek

The Family Carer Support project aims to provide much-needed assistance to families caring for older individuals. This initiative benefited from the funding provided by the Rethink Ireland’s Innovate Together Fund, which was established in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to the Innovate Together Fund, several projects were awarded, and the Family Carer Support project was among those recognized during the second round of funding allocations. The programme’s goal was to influence the way family carers of elderly individuals are supported in the future.

Addressing the needs of family carers during challenging times

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital importance of adequately addressing the needs of family carers, both during and after the crisis. For that, the Family Carer Support project took a pioneering approach. It implemented an innovative model that included risk assessment, triage, and intervention strategies.

Employing a forward-thinking model

By employing this exemplar model, the project aimed to enhance the overall support available to family carers, ensuring that they receive the necessary resources and assistance to continue providing quality care to older individuals.

Find out more about the initiative

Photo by pikisuperstar from Freepik

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. The initiatives currently cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

Providing support and protection during lockdown

Ireland’s National Police and Security service, named An Garda Síochána, launched Operation Faoiseamh on the 1st April 2020, which commenced as part of An Garda Síochána’s community engagement response to COVID-19. The aim of the Operation is to prevent loss of life and to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse were supported and protected during this extraordinary time.

Prior to the commencement of Operation Faoiseamh I assured those experiencing domestic abuse that An Garda Síochána were available and willing to assist in this difficult time. I wish to take this opportunity to re-emphasise our commitment to protecting the vulnerable in our communities. Victims and those who are aware of abusive domestic circumstances should continue to report to An Garda Síochána. If you require urgent assistance or support, please call 999 or 112, we are ‘STILL HERE’ to listen to help and to protect.
Detective Chief Superintendent Declan Daly, Garda National Protective Services Bureau

Phase I

Phase I of Operation Faoiseamh commenced on the 1st April 2020 and involved the utilisation of Garda Victims Liaison Offices, Divisional Protective Service Units and other appropriate resources to reach out and make contact with survivors of Domestic Abuse with a view to ascertaining any existing issues of concern, to offer support and reassurance and to ensure that any issues identified were dealt with swiftly and decisively. 

A total of 8,229 contacts or attempts at contact to survivors of domestic abuse have been recorded as part of Operation Faoiseamh – Phase I for incidents which have been reported between 1st January 2020 and 25th May 2020. A number of survivors used the opportunity presented by the proactive contact to request further assistance from An Garda Síochána and local resources were dispatched accordingly. The feedback from survivors has been overwhelmingly positive.

Phase II

Phase II of Operation Faoiseamh commenced on the 13th May 2020 and concentrated on the execution of arrests and the commencement of prosecutions for offences relating to breaches of court orders obtained pursuant to relevant provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, 2018. Between the 13th May 2020 and the 27th May 2020, a total of 107 prosecutions connected to Operation Faoiseamh – Phase II have been reported to GNPSB as having being commenced.

Key Statistics

• 43,500 calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents in 2020, 17% increase on 2019*
• Provisional figures to date 2021, indicate a further 10% increase in calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents over 2020
• 4,000 criminal charges were created in 2020 for breaches of Domestic Violence Act Orders, 24% increase on 2019*
• 7,600 criminal charges created in 2020 for crimes involving an element of domestic abuse, 24% increase on 2019*

*An Garda Síochána Annual Report 2020

Photo by Lucian Alexe on Unsplash

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. The initiatives currently cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

In Ireland, the Still Here campaign brought together the Department of Justice, NGOs, and private actors to inform victims of domestic violence of the support available during the Covid crisis

Limiting social interactions and restricting freedom of movement have been key policies to counter the spread of COVID-19; while European states started imposing lockdown measures, several NGOs and associations warned about the increasing risk for victims of domestic abuse. In Ireland, the Still Here campaign aimed at reassuring victims that the support system was still available to them.

A massive TV, Radio, and Social Media Campaign tackling the issue of domestic violence in the context of COVID-19

The campaign was portrayed as an adaptation of domestic and sexual violence support services from State agencies and the voluntary sector in the context of Covid-19, resulting in an increase of support services available. The campaign website highlights that restrictions of movement do not apply to a person escaping from risk or harm or seeking to access essential services; it also guarantees that these services remain open “at each of the different stages of restrictions which are now in place due to Covid-19, even the most severe”.

The campaign was developed by the Department of Justice in collaboration with frontline services: Women’s Aid, Safe Ireland, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rape Crisis Network Ireland, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Men’s Development Network; and in conjunction with the creative agency TBWA/Dublin and media buyers PHD Media Ireland.

Thus, the campaign represents a good example of a collective initiative involving government actors, NGO actors, and private sector actors. To this end, the Department of Justice provided an additional allocation of over €160,000 to community and voluntary groups to support their work as well as funding the making and airing of the ad by private organsiations.

A campaign targeted to all victims of domestic abuse, female and male

The target groups of the awareness campaign are both women and men who are victims of domestic violence. Of the two radio and TV adverts that were aired, one portrays a man who is a victim of domestic abuse, and the other a woman.  All adverts provide at the end the telephone numbers of different organisations providing support services, emergency numbers as well as the website address of campaign where more information can be obtained.

Read more on the NGOs’ websites:

Still Here Campaign

Men’s Development Network

Women’s Aid

Rape Crisis Network Ireland

National Women’s Council

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre

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To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. The initiatives currently cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

The Irish NGO Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre has led an inspiring initiative to counter the unequal access to justice of Roma and Traveller women experiencing gender-based violence during COVID-19. 

The customary legal mechanisms to prevent and protect women from gender-based violence are of little use for highly dis-empowered communities, such as Traveller and Roma people. Traveller and Roma women often have reading difficulties and come from a community that does not trust, and even fear the police (Gardai). Most importantly, they do not trust the State system and fear that their children might be taken from them and put into foster care if they call the police. When they do act and report the perpetrator, they could face rejection from their community; and even when they do obtain a barring or safety order, they still fear that the police will not act or arrest the perpetrator in case he breaks the order.

An information pack developed by Traveller women, for Traveller women

To address the unequal access to justice and support stemming from this situation, Pavee Point — a non-governmental organisation comprised of Travellers, Roma and members of the majority population — has developed an information pack for Traveller women, in collaboration with other Traveller’s rights groups operating in Ireland.

The information pack included a barring and safety order leaflet, with or without audio, and a barring and safety order animation. It was developed by traveller women for traveller women, with the audio animation providing very clear information in the language of the community. The aim of this initiative was to close the inequalities gap between women travellers and the settled community in access to rights. While targeted mainly towards Traveller and Roma women, it also adopted an intersectional approach.

Read more on the Pavee Point website